CSAM Science Teaching Program Kicks Off with Energy and Excitement

Students learned about the critical STEM teacher shortage, which is particularly severe in science and mathematics classrooms, and had the chance to debunk common misconceptions about the teaching profession. As highlighted during the session, science teachers enjoy competitive salaries, strong job satisfaction, flexible summers, and pathways into other careers, including medical school and graduate study.

The program offers hands-on opportunities such as working with children in schools, tutoring, after-school activities, and internships, while also providing paid internships, tuition scholarships, peer-mentoring jobs, and extensive academic and career support. With flexible entry points for freshmen, transfer students, graduate students, and alternate-route professionals, the program is designed to welcome participants at many stages of their academic and career journeys.

That community spirit was evident throughout the event, as students engaged in interactive “Science Teaching Bingo,” conversations with peers, and reflections on what they hoped to gain from the program. Faculty also joined the event, underscoring the long tradition of teacher preparation at Montclair State University and its continuing commitment to addressing the teacher shortage crisis.

Biology professor and program director Scott Kight shared, “I was amazed by the energy and excitement generated by students at the kick-off meeting. The STEM teacher shortage is a crisis in every sense of the word, but our students have it within them to change not just the crisis, but the very world we live in.”

The CSAM Science Teaching Program currently has 15 active members and aims to double that number by the end of the Fall 2025 semester. Students at the kickoff were encouraged to serve as ambassadors and invite friends to join the community and explore science teaching as a career option.